My ardent love for animals goes back to my childhood. I can never forget the time I visited my late maternal grandfather, Maj Gen P T Joseph, in Mundakayam, Kerala, during my school vacation.
Knowing my undying love for dogs, my very kind grandfather ‘borrowed’ a pet dog from one of his trusted colleagues just for the duration of our vacation.
That adorable, small, white fur ball of pure goodness was ‘given’ the grand name of Rocky, which we realised later was not his name but which he lovingly answered to every time we called out to him. For those two weeks,
Rocky showered us with love and loyalty. On the day of our departure,
Rocky looked at us with doleful eyes, begging us not to leave…
And that takes me back to another time when I set out to explore the beautiful Bandipur with two of my friends. As the open jeep took us on a safari, my heart was brimming with expectation. We came across spotted deer, passed many a bored bison, and then we drove by two elephants who were pulling down a tree with great gusto.
Suddenly, our guide at the wheel started slowing down, telling us to
stay quiet.
He whispered that we had approached some wild elephants protecting their calves. They were circling their young, and I vividly remember their powerful, resonant vocalisation. It was a rumble, almost a whisper. I could swear that I heard the sound of silence. Nothing but that low rumble coming from those gentle giants and nothing till our jeep started. In a matter of seconds, the circle of elephants unravelled. Before we knew it, the male elephant started trumpeting and charging towards our open jeep. Strangely, I was not frightened. For me, it was ethereal. My guide and colleagues were so terrified that I could hear their breathing.
I remained transfixed, looking at this wonderful being coming towards us. For a brief second I thought I sensed defiance, but I was wrong.
When the elephant reached about a foot away from our jeep, something made him stop in his tracks. In that split second I gathered up the courage to look up straight into those soulful eyes. He stood still, peering at me for a couple of seconds… It felt like he was whispering something to me. And then he did something unthinkable. He turned slowly, right back in the direction of his family.
I still wonder if he was an angel in disguise who decided not to harm me. I know one thing: that my encounter with my elephant friend changed my life forever.
I know that animals, both great and small, teach us invaluable lessons that stay with us for a lifetime. And for that, I will always be truly grateful.